Hydraulic check device for looms



July 14, 1959 A. E. ZARN 2,894,540

HYDRAULIC CHECK DEVICE FOR LooMs Filed Feb. 4/1957 2 Sheets-She 1INVENTOR. ADOL PHE EMILE ZARA] ATTG HEY y 19.59 A. E. ZARN 2,894,540

HYDRAULIC CHECK DEVICE FOR LOOMS I Filed Feb. 4, 1957' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. AooLPHs Emu: Zmw

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ATTORNEY m as edt s This invention relates to loom shock dampingdevices, more particularly to hydraulic'shuttle check devices,specifically adapted for use on multiple box looms.

The shock load and noise produced by impact of the shuttle on the pickerin conventional loom installations is such as to adversely aifect theoperation of the machine, as well as the efliciency of the mill workers.In an attempt to eliminate this shock load and noise, a variety ofexpedients has been devised. Most efiective of these expedients is someform of hydraulic shock damper, check or stop, which is arranged to dampthe vibrations of the picker stick in its oscillatory motion. Withso-called multiple box looms, where a plurality of shuttles is employedand maintained in a change box at the side of the loom lay for feedingone at a time by the picker stick it has been relatively impossibletoapply any check or stop to the picker stick. This is due to the factthat the conventional picker has a recess formed in its side facing theshuttle. Before the change box may be moved to permit interchange of theshuttle, it is necessary that the shuttle be released from the pickeri.e. disengaged from the recess thereof and it is thus necessary thatthe picker stick move beyond the point of stoppage of the shuttle.

It is with the above problems in mind that the present construction hasbeen evolved, a construction providing an improved hydraulic dampingstructure for stopping or checking the motion of the picker stick andshuttle on a multiple box loom. The novel means is readily adaptable toconventional multiple box looms, without interfering with shuttleexchange by the change box.

It is accordingly a primary object of this invention to provide animproved hydraulic shuttle check device for use on multiple box looms.

An additional object of this invention is to provide an improved loomcheck device readily applicable to conventional and existing multiplebox looms.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an: improvedhydraulic check device for multiple box looms which is simple ofmanufacture, readily installable On existing looms, and requires minimummaintenance when installed. a r Y i These and other objects of theinvention are achieved by provision of a check device comprising apiston positioned within a fluid-containing cylinder. The piston extendsoutwardly to a buflier head, against which the picker stick moves. Underthe pressure of the picker stick the piston is pressed into thefluid-containing cylinder, thereby displacing some of the fluid througha narrow opening provided therein. The stroke of the piston is such thatonly a portion of said stroke is employed for checking the motion of thepicker stick. After the shuttle is stopped, the piston may be moved bymeans of members driven by the loom drive to the extreme limit of itsstroke in the cylinder and the picker stick following this movement maythus release the shuttle to permit a move- Patent C Patented Ju ly 14,1959 ice ment of the change box to bring another shuttle into positionin front of the picker.

A primary feature of this invention resides in the fact that a hydrauliccheck device has been provided, in which only a portion of the pistonstroke is employed for checking the motion of the shuttle, with theremaining portion of the piston stroke employed to release the shuttleto permit a shuttle exchange.

The novel structure, and its mode of functioning will be made mostmanifest and particularly pointed out in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 represents a partial schematic view of a loom with thehydraulic check device shown in partial cross section with the pickerstick in position adjacent a change box just prior to stoppage of ashuttle; and

Figure 2 is a partial schematic view similar to Figure 1, with thepicker stick and other components shown in a position after a shuttle isstopped; and

Figure 3 is a partial schematic view similar to Figure 1, illustratingthe novel components of this invention in a position after release ofthe stopped shuttle by the picker.

Figure 3a represents a schematic view of the picker stick, arrangement;and

Figure 4 is a partial schematic side view of a loom provided with amodified form of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, like numerals in thevarious figures will be taken to desig- :nate like parts. 4

As viewed in the drawings, a plurality of shuttles 1 is :shownpositioned in a change box B (illustrated in dot dash line in Figure 1).A picker stick 2 having a picker 3 oscillates to and fro a conventionalmanner to drive v *the shuttles 1. Recess 3a is formed in picker 3 byrepeated impact of the pointed noses of the shuttles 1, during operationof the loom. I

A supporting arm 6 connected to the lay 16 in manner mot shown hasattached to the free end thereof a cylinder 10 within housing 13.Reciprocably positioned within -the cylinder 10 is a piston 11. Thepiston 11 acts against a conventional brake fluid 9. The brake fluid 9does not completely fill the housing 13, thus providing an air (cushion7 above the fluid. Filling of housing 13 with the brake fluid isaccomplished through normally closed inlet port 8 at the top of housing13. The cylinder 10 extends into housing 13, and ports 10a formed in thecylinder wall permit entry and egress of the fluid '9 from the cylinderthrough to the reservoir formed within housing 13. Drainage screw 12permits opening of a port at the bottom of the housing for drainage ofthe fluid 9, when dsired, as for purposes of adjustment or maintenance.A wrist pin, having a cam 14 thereon, is employed for coupling a bufferhead 15 to the piston 11. Buffer head 15 is adjustably mounted inconnection with the wrist pin and piston 11, as readily seen in thedrawing.

The loom lay 16 is schematically illustrated to the left of the figures,and the shuttles move thereacross in conventional fashion.

Lever 25 is centrally pivoted to supporting arm 6. The lever 25 is sopivoted that there is a relatively long upwardly extending arm 25a, anda downwardly extending arm 25b having a cam follower surface formedthere- Coupled to the free end of the upwardly extending arm 25a is aflexible connection 4 formed of rope, cable, or the like. Asschematically seen in Figure l flexible connection 4 is connected to thestationary loom framework supporting the loom lay 16 and passes over aroller on lay 16, whereby the position of lever 25 is affected by themovement of lay 16.

As will be seen from Fig. 3a the picker stick 2, pivotalhand dotted lineposition, as viewed in Figure 1.

not interfere with the box exchange.

1y connected with its lower end to the machine frame 21 as indicated at18, is constantly urged toward the buffer head 15 under the action of aspring 20, connected therewith over a flexible member 19.

- Operation The novel checking structure functions in a manner asmostclearly illustrated in the drawings.

As seen in Figure 1, picker stick 2 moves against buffer head 15 toforce piston 1 1 into the cylinder. Thestroke of piston 11 comprises twoportions. As noted on the drawing, there is a checking portion S and ashuttle releasing portion S The total stroke .of ,the piston 11 withincylinder 10 is equal to S plus As will be seen from the drawing, therelation between the clearance of thevpiston in the cylinder and the,viscosity of the brake fluid is chosen such, that for a given amount ofkinetic energy to be absorbed by the device, the checking portion S ofthe stroke terminates intermediate the .operative length of the cylinderbore, thus permitting theremainder S of the stroke to be employed forrelease of the shuttle.

As seen in Figure 1, a shuttle 1a is shown moving .from the loom lay 16to be received in the change box B. The checking of the shuttle isaccomplished after the nose of shuttle 1a engages in recess 3a of picker3, thus permitting the motion of shuttle in to force picker stick 2 tothe intermediate position shown by dot dash lines. ,When'the pickerstick 2 is in this intermediate position, piston 11 has moved through adistance S and themotion of the shuttle 1a will have been checked. Atthis time, the shuttle is inits proper position within change box B, asseen in Figure 2.

In order to permit a shuttle exchange i.e. to bring another shuttle intooperative position, it is necessary that picker 3 be disengaged'from thetip of shuttle 1a. To this end, the motion of lay 16 causes flexibleconnection 4 to pull on arm 25a, thus forcing arm 25b against cam 14,which forces the piston 11 through the shuttle releasing portion of itsstroke S to the position, as viewed in Figure 3. The picker stick movesto the extreme. right- The ;picker stick 2 moves with buffer head 15underthe effect of a spring 20, shown in Fig. 3a.

It is thus seen that a hydraulic check device has been provided,eminently suitable for use in conjunction with multiple box looms,whereby the checking action does The shuttles are checked in theirmotion by a force directly proportional to the veloicty of the shuttle,and each of the shuttles received bythe picker head is stopped atthesame relative position.

The simple construction, and relatively small volume of the describedcheck device permits its employment in conjunction with any type ofknown existing multiple box loom.

In the modification of the device shown in Fig. 4, the actuatingmovement of the lever 25 for retraction of the piston 11 over its strokeportion S is not derived from ment, but-from-a driven shaft 22 supportedin the mathe motion of the lay 16, as in the foregoing embodi- 6O chineframe 21. This shaft carries a cam 27 with which the one arm of a lever23 carrying a follower roll 24 cooperates. The other arm of the lever 23pivotably supported on a trunnion 28 of the machine frame, is hingedlyconnected with a rod 26, the other end of which is connected to the arm25a of lever 25. Since the shaft 22 rotates in synchronism with themovement of the lay 16, the actuation of the lever 25 will be effectedin dependency ,of the movement i.e. position of the lay, as will beclear to those skilled in the art.

The above disclosure has been given by way of illustration andelucidation, and not by way of limitation, and it is desired'to protectall embodiments of the herein disclosed inventive concept within thescope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. On a loom having a lay, a shuttle, and a picker stick: a hydrauliccheck device cushioning movement of the picker stick, said devicecomprising: a fluid containing housing beneath the lay of the loom; acylinder within said housing; a piston reciprocably mounted within saidcylinder to move through a stroke with a checking portion and a shuttlereleasing portion, said piston having a free end extending from saidcylinder; a buffer on the free end of said piston, said buffercontacting the picker stick; and a linkage between said piston and theloom for moving the piston through the shuttle releasing portion of itsstroke after it has completed the checking portion of its stroke,whereby the shuttle will be released from the picker stick.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1, in which said linkage is effected by adriven part of the loom.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1, in which said linkage comprises: a leverfulcrumed at its center, one arm of said lever cooperating with saidpiston; and a flexible connection between the other arm of said leverand the loom said connection acted on by the lay.

4. Apparatus as in claim 3, in which said piston has a cam surfacethereon contacted by the said one arm of said lever.

5. Apparatus as in claim 3, in which said flexible connection extendsfrom a fixed portion of the loom, overa driven part of the loom to theother arm of said lever, whereby motion of the driven part of the loomeffects the position of said picker stick.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which said linkage comprises afulcr-umed actuating lever cooperating with said piston, a cam seated ona driven shaft of the loom, and motion transmitting means cooperatingwith said cam and connected to said lever to thereby displace saidpiston in dependency of the motion of the loom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,354,340 Utter July 25, 1944 2,483,517 Balogh Oct. 4, 1949 2,7 3,8 5 Zly 0, 9

FOREIGN PATENTS,

572,109 Great Britain Sept. 24, 1945

